A new report shows that nearly half of Africa’s citizens live in countries where the level of governance and good governance has declined over the past decade, and the deteriorating security situation has eroded progress made in this regard.
Governance is policies and frameworks that define responsibilities in countries and relationships between the political and popular levels.
The annual Ibrahim Index report on governance in Africa showed that despite the positive progress achieved by 33 countries, governance was worse last year in 21 countries, representing just under half of Africa’s population, compared to 2014.
The report issued by the Foundation of Sudanese-British billionaire businessman Mo Ibrahim stated that for several countries, including Nigeria and Uganda, which have high populations, the deterioration in the governance system worsened during the second half of the decade.
Reuters quoted Ibrahim as saying that violence and instability increased due to coups in West Africa and the war in Sudan, as well as due to mismanagement.
Good governance
He added, “If there is a decline in good governance, if there is corruption, and if there is marginalization… then people will take up arms.”
The report also stated that infrastructure and gender equality were better in 2023 for about 95% of Africans.
Health, education and business environment standards have also improved across the continent.
The biggest decline came in expectations of economic opportunity, safety and security, which Ibrahim referred to as a serious problem.
“If the level of public discontent is high, obviously that can lead to unrest, it can lead to increased migration and conflicts,” he said.
